Event to Feature Films Highlighting Venice’s Cultural Legacy, Including Black Surfing History, Affordable Housing Crisis, and Local Artists
The Venice Heritage Museum will host its third annual Film Festival on Sunday, Oct. 20, continuing its tradition of showcasing stories and perspectives from Venice’s diverse community. The festival will run from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Venice Heritage Museum, located at 228 Main St.
The festival will feature works by local filmmakers, including Joshua Enoch Williams, Sarah Niemann, Stanley Mitchell, and Judy Branfman. Films will explore a variety of topics, from the history of Black surfing to the changing face of Venice’s Oakwood neighborhood and the struggles with affordable housing in the area.
“This year, we’ll once again bring together a wide range of perspectives and stories from Venice that each present a different portrait of the same place,” said Anthony Carfello, museum manager.
The event comes after two years of sold-out festivals. It serves as a fundraiser for the museum, with all proceeds going toward programming and maintaining the museum’s policy of free admission. The museum, which opened in March 2024, focuses on preserving and celebrating Venice’s cultural heritage through initiatives like its oral history project and community archives.
Among the featured films will be Wade in the Water, directed by David Mesfin, which examines the legacy of Black surfers; Venice America, a documentary by lifelong resident Stanley Mitchell chronicling three decades of changes in the Oakwood community; and Where Has All the (Affordable) Housing Gone?, by Judy Branfman, exploring the loss of affordable housing in Venice.
The festival will also include curated selections from the Venice Heritage Museum’s archives, highlighting films from Venice’s past, including footage of the Venice Boardwalk in the 1980s and clips from the early 20th century, such as Charlie Chaplin’s Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914).
Food vendors will include local businesses Zavalas Pies, All Chill Ice Cream, and Davy Jones Liquor Locker.
For more information, go to https://www.veniceheritagemuseum.org/.
